Whatever happened to that castle on a cloud?
by Missbooie
Summary: In Les Miserables Cosette sings about a castle on a cloud but when she grows up the castle is not mentioned again. This story is about the adventure of three children as they venture through this difficult time. Win and live, lose and die...
1. Chapter 1

Whatever happened to that Castle on a Cloud?

There was a castle on a cloud… Cosette's favourite place to visit in her sleep, but as she grew older she visited the castle less and less; the village surrounding the castle was becoming poorer and poorer- the castle had begun to crumble as it fell deeper into ruin…

"No! Please, please don't take my baby- I love her so, I do, I do."

A woman screamed as her six month old baby was snatched from her, this was the ritual in Lesimer, the second and fifth born children from all families would be taken when they were just six months old, they were then trained individually then on their eighth birthday they were transported into an arena. Each child had to fight over sixty animals in a period of two months, they were given a ration of food and water to start with and they were given more rations each day, however the animals aren't fed so the child then has to fight the animals for the food- they are allowed to eat the animals they kill however some of the animals are diseased and these are one of the many tests that they have to face, no medicine is distributed, no mercy for anyone.

"Mama!" The child screamed and was carried away wailing.

**(This story will follow this child's journey from when she is growing up until that important day where she has to fight the animals, will she make it or will she perish at the jaws of merciless animals?)**


	2. Chapter 2

Josephine looked up at her trainer, it was her sixth birthday soon; she just hoped that all the training would be worth it, the constant fighting dummies, the waking up at four o'clock every morning. She never saw her mother again, and to a person on the outside this place seemed obscure but to the children training here it was home. Josephine's focus wandered to the older group- all the people who had trained to fight animals and won, now they had to fight each other, when you turned sixteen you went with nineteen others to fight in an arena until the death… If she beat the animals she too would have to fight others; she shuddered at the thought.

"Josie!"

Josephine ducked as a blunt spear flew at her.

"Josie, what on earth are you doing? I need you to focus- do you want to die at the jaws of some blood thirsty creature?"

Josephine looked up- Emily had beaten the animals then she had beaten the other students and now she trained them to fight the animals, she had strict rules but a soft heart. "No, no… I want to win, for you, for my friends, for those whom I have never met."

Emily smiled, she knew what Josephine meant, she meant her family who she was taken from. Emily had seen many children in the twenty years she had been training but Josephine was something different, she had a goal, she was secretive and never let emotion creep out but she also knew that Josephine was strong minded, had a good through and could aim well but most importantly she was intelligent.

As the fight drew near Josephine trained day and night but she was so nervous that she couldn't concentrate- Emily grew concerned, Josephine never lost her concentration, but then she saw the problem… A young girl, around two, was wondering around, she had long brown hair with deep blue eyes and a necklace, a simple chain with a blue heart, around her neck. Emily began to well-up, Josephine noticed the change and followed her gaze, the necklace, and she touched her own chain, with an identical blue heart, to match the child's identical looks…

"Hello, I'm Josephine and I like your necklace a lot."

The little girl looked startled but replied in a quiet voice with a slight lisp, "I like yours too- they're the same, my mummy gave it to me," she clasped the blue heart in her small hands.

"My mum gave mine to me as well. What's your name?"

"I'm Josephine- Mary…"

Josephine yet out a gasp, how could this be? Nothing made sense- they looked the same, had the same name and had the same necklace, but they did not know each other. Then she realised…

"How many brothers and sisters do you have?"

"I don't know, I think around three…"

Josephine added to three other children made four, making Josephine-Mary the fifth child.

"I think that we're…" Josephine stopped abruptly, would it be a good idea to say that they are sisters or would it be a terrible idea? "Sorry."

Josephine choked a sob and ran to her room, Emily ran after her.


	3. Chapter 3

Josephine sat on her bed, crying. Emily came in and Josephine lay down, with her face buried into the pillow.

"Josie, I'm not really sure what to say; your mother must have been hart broken when you left- this is her way of recovering, she wasn't trying to replace you. She never forgot you, she still loves you!"

Josephine gave a sad smile to Emily.

"Right Josie, are you ready to continue training? We have two weeks before you go into the arena, I want you to have the best chance possible of coming back."

Josephine wiped her eyes and ran out, she stopped at the door, "Come on then, we have training to do!"

Emily was still sat on the bed stunned, she stood up and slowly a smile spread across her face. Josephine never failed to surprise her, whether it was a bulls eye with a spear or if it was her strange jumping of emotion from devastated to completely motivated.

Josephine trained nearly all day every day but soon, the day was drawing nearing and there was nothing she could do to make that day never come.

"Josie, today is the day wake up…"

Josephine stumbled to the door, as Emily pulled her into an embrace.

"Josie,"

"Yes?"

"Just… Just make sure you…Make sure you come home, please…"


End file.
